The present invention relates to a dentistry handpiece with a handle which can be connected by means of a connector to a supply hose, and upon which a tool attachment head carrying a tool can be fitted, with a means for lighting the treatment site which includes a light conductor, and with a means for transmitting an image of the treatment site which includes an image carrier and a transformer transforming the image transmitted by the image carrier into electrical signals.
Handpieces with an integrated endoscope are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,070 shows such a handpiece, in which an image of the treatment site is transmitted by an image carrier in the form of a glass fiber bundle integrated into the handle of the handpiece to a CCD camera which is arranged in a connector, which connects the handpiece to a supply hose, and which can be uncoupled from the handle. For sterilization of the handpiece in autoclaves, the delicate CCD camera is removed, together with the connector, from the handle.
As the known image carriers are not sufficiently resistant to the hot vapor autoclaving preferably used, however, and at least after prolonged use and frequent autoclaving the image quality is badly impaired, it was proposed in WO 93/5724 to move the light conductor for lighting the treatment site and the image carrier for transmitting an image of the treatment site together to a tube mounted externally on the handpiece and removable therefrom.